A Jumper's Guide to Returning Home
by panda8785
Summary: After years, they met the doctor and Michele Walker is finally able to return to the universe she had spent the most memorable part of her life, with the Reds and Blues. But at what cost? Would they even remember her with the amount of change she has undergone from the past ten years? A continuation of Hey You, Electric Blue!
1. Chapter 1

**This is a continuation of Hey You, Electric Blue (now that I've finally caught up)... and this is a rewrite due to ideas becoming more fluid and together.**

* * *

"Entry One... I uh... Haven't done this in a really long time." I looked directly into the camera, rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly and quickly running my fingers through my short, brown hair, "It has been... probably ten years since my time in Chorus... and the same amount of time since the last time I have died." I let out a sigh, glancing over my hands as scars littered my tan skin, "Lazerus and I have been trying to find home. We've been researching the 'Jumper Gene' in an attempt to go back. The only problem is that universes run at different rates of time in different planes of space."

A crash echoed through the halls, causing me to jump. I let out a sigh, pushing my chair back as I watched the open doorway, "Everything okay there?" I shouted, waiting for a response. Everything was silent, aside from footsteps growing louder.

Lazerus walked in, holding his head with one hand and a tool box in another. He walked up to my desk, slamming the box down, "For the millionth time, please stop leaving your shit in the middle of the walkway!" He removed his hand from his forehead, a bright red lump forming. After observing longer, blood began to bead, showing off a small cut.

"Might wanna stitch that up." I motioned lazily to the damage, rolling my chair toward the toolbox, "Sorry, man... I... must've forgotten where I put it."

He let out an audible sigh, resting a hand on my shoulder, "You're fine, just keep an eye on your stuff." He noticed my computer, quietly clicking his tongue before beginning to walk away, "Happy New Year, Girly."

"Yeah, Happy New Year." I spoke softly, propping my head up with an arm, "Stupid sand planet."

Only a couple of days ago marked the start of my eleventh year here... and it isn't even home... And Lazerus explained to me that my death seemed a lot like hyperkalemia, an overdose of potassium. That orange-eyed bastard lied to me!

I looked into the camera once again, anger present in my gaze, "This is Michele Walker, signing off." And I turned everything off, holding my head in both hands.

"Isn't there something you need to do?" My AI spoke, slight irritation in his tone.

"Yeah." I muttered quietly, picking up my toolbox and placing it on the respective shelf, "Days seem to be getting faster, huh?" My eyes kept their focus outside, watching the clear, starry night sky as the sand made little cyclones before dispersing, becoming one again with the ground.

"That is only your perception." Omega went in and out of focus before properly materializing.

I though through my words carefully, "You need a tune up any time soon? It's been a few years." My words sounded somewhat excited. I was too hopeful for something to do. Repair would be better than waiting for a passerby stopping for gas, or even more rare, another jumper that had fallen.

"..I'm fine." He spoke eventually, disappearing into nothing.

I let out a sigh, seating myself on the desk to watch the whiteboard across the room.

-Different universes run at different rates.

-Expiration of jumps differs between jumpers, most not exceeding ten (more data necessary).

-Jumps are only performed through death.

-Universes have different "hubs" for their newcomers.

-Manipulation of destination?

Just a block in our research. According to the Book of Inter-Universal Transportation, there is no method to have any self-determination of jumping destination... but what if it's wrong?

I stood up, approaching the board. There's something in here, hiding just in plain sight... we were only stupidly missing one thing.

The sound of thunder rumbled loudly, the ground beneath us vibrating.

"Southwest." Omega responded quickly.

"Lazerus!" I began to run, passing my shoes, "We got a jumper! Set up the basement!"

I bolted out the door, sand still somewhat heated from the day.

There was a light in the distance, crackling before slowly disappearing. I continued to run, the sand clinging tightly to my skin.

It was a girl... we'd never seen a jumper younger than twenty, but she seemed to be much younger. Sixteen? Seventeen? I swept her curly, brunette hair away from her face, revealing freckled of almost incomprehensible quantity. She wore a maroon romper that had been well over-sized, a black fedora burying itself into the sand beside her.

I was barely able to pick her up, carrying her most of the way to our tiny gas station before Lazerus came in to help.


	2. Chapter 2

We set the child down at the floor of our basement, taking a quick blood sample as she was still unconscious. I watched over her with Lazerus in the background, running a few tests.

"You're forgetting something." The former doctor spoke as I was about to walk away.

I looked over her once more, "Blood test, blood pressure, pulse..."

"Temperature." He passed me a clipboard, placing a hand on her forehead and setting a slushy from upstairs beside her, "Most of the Jumpers we've observed run a bit hot. If left alone, they'll overheat."

I nodded slowly at that, examining the clipboard and filling in a few holes, "I'm... sorry."

He shrugged off my apology, looking back to me with a wide smile, "Don't worry, Chele, you're still learning."

It took him forever to get that smile back. Before I came to this planet, he told me that Freelancer was the last time he had smiled. That's over twenty years ago for me, and much longer for him. He doesn't talk about it, I let him forget, but the scars that cover his face and body tell the story without words.

She moved slightly as Lazerus continued to examine her, pink irises revealing themselves well before consciousness.

"You might wanna back away." I chuckled at the thought of him being punched again, but he hadn't heeded my warning.

She remained calm, gently swatting his hand away as she stood up. Fearless... I like her already, "Where... am I?" She rubbed at her eyes, noticing the slushed beverage beside her. Watching us, she brought it to her nose before taking a sip.

Lazerus backed away, pressing his back to the wall closest to the door, "You're taking this awfully well." Shifting my weight to my left, I watched the child carefully.

Her eyes followed me quizzically, "You... could say I've been around this path before." She set the cup down, crossing her legs, "Who are you?"

"We're the ones who found you." I attempted to stifle a bout of laughter, "I believe we should be asking the questions, though."

She stopped at the whiteboard covered in my partner's notes, "You're theory is solid but your evidence takes the wrong approach." Turning to face me again, she let out a quiet chuckle, "This is a popular 'hub world,' huh? Getting enough research?"

I turned to Lazerus, his eyes wide as he began to approach the girl again, "You have knowledge on jumping?"

Her head cocked to the side as she focused her attention on him, "So that's what you call it? We just refer to it as a regular saltation." A smug grin began to form against her face, "Name's Emily Grey. Play your cards right and I can give you all the information you're looking for."

I placed a hand on his shoulder, picking a data pad up from the shaky table, "I know you want info. I can go do blood tests."

His tired eyes met mine, a faint smile crossing him, "Yeah. The more information the better, right?"

I nodded, leaving the room. You see, we don't necessarily want to go back to our first home. Odds are they're already dead worlds. We just want to stop jumping, living out the rest of our lives peacefully.

I can understand Lazerus wanting to stop, though I'm not really ready to stop the adventures. I've tortured enough people in my past life to notice a whipped dog. He doesn't have to tell me, but there was some life he lived tortured. His scars told the tale. Deep cuts in his shoulders, abdomen, and back, more on his wrists and ankles, and a thin line against his neck to admit his slow, agonizing finality.

I placed the sample into a petridish, sliding the plate of blood and agar into a machine. I jerked back upon feeling a familiar pressure, cutting my hand on a protruding shard of metal.

"That's not preferable." I laughed to myself, pressing the skin together in a faulty attempt to stop it, "Omega? Go into my computer and run diagnostics. I need to patch this up." I proceeded to go to a first aid kit at the other side of the room, emptying its contents onto the desk as the fluid from my hand seemed to flow endlessly.

It didn't hurt. Nothing hurt, anymore. The remenants of Subject Zero of Project Freelancer were removed upon jumping to this desert of a planet. Along with not being super human anymore, with normal strength and normal memory, I just don't feel... well... anything. Or rather the feelings are significantly dulled.

All that remains is the faint memory of emotion, sometimes amplified to seem normal... but remorse, happiness, admiration? I never learned how to fake those.

No way could I ever be considered human again.

I stitched my hand back up, returning to research. I don't need to fake it if no one's watching.


	3. Chapter 3

Stored code. Dimensions. Passage of time. Jumping. Limited... home... Lazarus. Why had she always followed Lazarus? She reviewed her notes to try to figure out what their guest had meant by 'solid theory but wrong approach.'

"Omega." I let out a sigh, dropping into my chair, "Could you review some archives for me?"

The AI said nothing, looking through my computer for what I had been searching for.

I could barely remember the last life I had lived. I remember needing to survive. Following orders. Inability to fight back... Killing. Helpless, orange eyes watching in utter hopelessness. What was his name? His armor was white, helmet demolished. He was older. He was my teacher and my friend. I... had to kill him. To survive? No... it was the director's will and I had mindlessly followed it. I remembered crying. I must have felt remorse, although I don't quite remember what that's like anymore, I know I still could have survived without such a drastic resort.

I remember a man, brunette hair dyed bleach-blond. I remember setting off firecrackers, and pranking others, and absolute laugher during lunch. He fell head-over-heels for me. I knew, buit I could never reciprocate the feeling. He... was just like her little brother. He went crazy at some point, admitted into a hospital. The next time I had seen him, I was with another man. He seemed crushed once he found out, hiding it from everyone but me. I never tried to fix the problem.

And then there was a man and a woman, looming over me. The man covered an eye with a patch, the other a dark orange that just watched her with anger. Why was he angry? He held a syringe, injecting me with some clear liquid. It slowed her heart to an eventual stop. The woman looked down in immediate remorse, pale, freckled skin and pink eyes watching her carefully.

Pink eyes...

She slammed her hand onto her desk, a stitch popping as she stormed to the basement.

In the basement, there was no one within visible range, only quiet sounds of tedious footsteps and breathing could be heard within the shadows. I quickly rushed to the tool table, my bayonet had been missing. She had it. That damn murderer, Emily Grey. Why had Lazerus left her alone?

I raised my hands over my head, "Alright Grey, you got me. I'm not going to hurt you."

No response.

"Listen, I understand why you did it. We were stuck in the middle of a war, you probably saw me as a threat." I took a couple steps toward the center of the room, where a light had shown overhead, "Emily, I just want to know why."

Footsteps rushed after me as the child swung hard. The knife had only grazed my cheek before I grabbed her by the wrists and threw the small-framed girl to the ground. She had dropped the knife to the floor. I kicked it away, keeping this murderer pinned to the ground.

"Why'd you do it, Emily?" I held her to the ground, pressing the palms of my hands into her shoulders.

She winced, pink eyes looking desperately back at me, "I.. I don't know you. I've never been at war. If you're so sure it's me, I haven't done it yet." She nearly chokes.

I loosened my grip when the door slammed open, blue eyes appearing way more than pissed.

"Michele! What the hell are you doing to our guest!" Lazerus shouted, violently pushing me off, "She has the research we've so desperately been looking for, and you just want to throw that away?!"

I could no longer feel remorse, but downturned eyes and avoiding eye-contact was a motion ingrained into her muscle memory, "I'm... I'm sorry." But I wasn't. I haven't been genuinely sorry for years.

"I swear, I don't understand you half the time." He muttered under his breath, helping the murderer.

I picked my knife up from the floor, tossing it up and grabbing it by the hilt, repeating the process with little attention to the blade, "She's the one who killed me, you know." I was blunt with my words. I knew he knew what I meant.

"If I may," she interjected, "I do not remember such a thing. If you're so sure it's me, then I haven't done it ye-"

"So you're trying to tell us that just because you mentioned our data was false once that we'll believe all of our evidence is wrong?" I stopped playing with the weapon, arms by my side.

"Yeah..." Now Lazerus was able to sense her bluff, "While some dimensions run at different rates, a Jumper's experience is linear."

She watched us carefully, thinking through what to say next, "But... what if I found a way?"

My colleague and I exchanged questioning looks to each other before returning to the child, "Explain."

She looked around eyeing our workshop desk, moving anxiously before lifting up her shirt. Just above her waistband, a metal block had merged with her skin, cables below the skin connecting to veins as bruises showed evidence of failed healing.

"Gnarly." Lazerus looked at the abnormality, refusing to touch, "What is it supposed to do?"

Her smile was wide as if she had been more than just excited about the grotesque scene, "Well when I mess with these buttons," she played with the machine as symbols began to change, "then the next time I die I can change the time and universe I fall into." She looked over to me, almost in a mocking manner, "And from what you just told me, I can only assume that it actually works."

"How do you make it!" The doctor had become eager over this new discovery, almost vibrating with excitement.

Emily looked around, pointing to our workshop table, "If you have all the supplies, I could build you one."

"Two." I corrected her, receiving nothing but a glare in return.

"Fine, two... I just wanna get data here, then I'm off to the next universe."

Lazerus was shocked by this statement, "But... why would you waste a life? Jumpers are limited."

She laughed quietly to herself, "I've jumped hundreds of times. At this point, I'd just rather get data and share it with others. Maybe write a book. That's why I could use your data."

"Okay then let's make a deal," He stood up, walking over to the workbench to clean it up, "You can make those little devices and we'll give you our data to help with your research."

"But Lazarus-" I interjected, only to be cut off.

"Michele, we could use all the data we can find. We didn't get any sort of evidence without talking to the others, so how is this any different?!" He was almost fuming with anger.

I closed my mouth, looking away as they discussed their deal.

* * *

By the time noon struck, the gas station was busy. Families traveling to and from Mexico for the summer came for gas, children dragging their parents inside for food and drink. I took care of the register while Lazerus restocked and made sure everything was running. This was our day job. This is why we could afford our research, selling synthetic gasoline as a cheaper alternative. Unlike the rest of this universe, we have inventions made from twenty-sixth-century data.

"So," Lazerus leaned up against the counter, "how much did we make?"

I looked up from my magazine, looking around the store to see just a few people wandering around, "I dunno. 'bout a hundred? Hundred-fifty? That's not including gas though."

He slowly tapped his fingers against the countertop, watching a couple fill their car with gas, "Do you... see yourself doing this forever?" He stopped his tapping, lowering his head.

I set the magazine down, leaning back in my seat, "I mean, not particularly, but we can't waste a life if they're limited."

"I-I know..." He let out a slow sigh, "But we don't even know our limits. We could have hundreds! Even thousands!"

"Or we could only have five." I spoke bluntly, hoping to snap him out of his delusion, "You can't go killing yourself whenever you feel bored."

He remained silent as the thought passed him. He knew he was thinking stupid, he just needed the second opinion.

Emily rushed in from the back with absolute excitement as she held out two devices, "These are for you guys!" She set them down on the counter pointing at them, "So it's going to hurt, so definitely wait, but you'll place the device wherever you want it and push the red button."

I picked up the device, looking it over. Without outwardly admitting, it was designed and created very well. A lot smaller than her own, therefore a lot easier to hide.

I got up to go to the back. It was my lunch break anyway, and I wanted to get this over with. I will admit, it legitimately hurt applying it to my leg, and I hadn't felt pain in the last decade. Like a power drill, it burrowed into the bone of my femur, breaking it. Lazerus was going to have a hard time with this, if it hurt me.

My legs refused me, so Lazerus decided to close the convenience store. I could hear his screaming from my room. After about twenty more minutes, he came in with Emily supporting him.

"So, how would you guys like to help my with research?" Emily started, "This place is boring, and I already got my data off your computers."

I immediately shook my head, "I don't know about you, but we have a code here. We don't take lives, and we don't waste them."

Lazerus was still lost in thought, his earlier statement clouding his brain. He stood up, blood dripping down his arm as it remained limp at his side, "Michele, I know you aren't ready to die again, but I'm this is the only way to get the research that's been just out of our grasp."

My fingernails clancked against the wooden floorboards as I tried to consider the situation at hand. Of course I hated how boring it is here. Even Omega was bored, as he played Pong on my desktop.

"Lazerus..." I spoke quietly, knowing my words will only disappoint him, "I'm... I'm sorry, I just can't do thi-"

The last thing I heard was a loud crack...

And everything went black.


End file.
